Fog Cutter

Jeffy Berry calls the Fog Cutter Trader Vic's second most historically popular cocktail, unusual for a tiki drink because of the cream sherry that is floated on top.{{cite book |last1=Berry |first1=Jeff |title=Beachbum Berry Remixed |date=2010 |publisher=Slave Labor Graphics |location=San Jose }}

The recipe for the drink is the same in both Bergeron's original 1947 Bartender's Guide and his revised version from 1972.{{cite book |last1=Vic |first1=Trader |title=Bartender's Guide, Revised |url=https://archive.org/details/tradervicsbarten00trad |url-access=registration |date=1972 |publisher=Doubleday |location=Garden City, NY |edition=Revised}} The revised version carries a quote describing the cocktail: "Fog Cutter, hell. After two of these, you won't even see the stuff".{{cite book |last1=Siegelman |first1=Stephen |title=Trader Vic's Tiki Party!: Cocktails and Food to Share with Friends |date=4 February 2014 |publisher=Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed |isbn=978-0-307-80863-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8UYPAAAAQBAJ |language=en}}{{rp|62}}

The recipe also has a mark next to it, indicating that he claimed to have invented the drink. Despite this, there is no broad agreement as to who invented the cocktail, but similar to the Mai Tai he is the person most associated with it and receives credit for the Fog Cutter's broad popularization. An official Trader Vic's drink menu postcard from the 1940s lists a Fog Cutter and reads "What a sneaker - positively only two to a person; really, I don't see why people buy them."{{cite book |last1=Trader Vic's |first1=Postcard Menu |title=Trader Vic's |page=3}}

Bergeron revised the drink in the 1950s to make it less potent, calling it the Samoan Fog Cutter. It is essentially the same recipe but has 1 oz less liquor, cutting back on the amount of rum and brandy while still retaining its character as a predominantly rum-based drink.{{cite book |last1=Berry |first1=Jeff |title=Beachbum Berry Remixed |date=2010 |publisher=Slave Labor Graphics |location=San Jose |page=48}} It was also blended instead of shaken.

A Viking Fog Cutter from a Nordic restaurant floated aquavit instead of the cream sherry. A still different version from the Bali Hai at The Beach in New Orleans spelled their Fogg Cutter with an extra "g". It was a similar drink to Vic's original but added dark Jamaican rum and swapped lemon for the lime juice; most importantly, it dropped the use of the sherry float.{{cite web |title=Today's Drinks Recipe from Our Files: The Fog Cutter from the Bali Ha'i |url=https://www.nola.com/food/2013/07/todays_drinks_recipe_from_our_2.html |website=nola.com |date=17 July 2013 |access-date=25 February 2019}}{{cite book |last1=Berry |first1=Jeff |title=Beachbum Berry Remixed |date=2010 |publisher=Slave Labor Graphics |location=San Jose |page=50}}

Some modern day Tiki drink experts don't care for Vic's original version, calling it only "just fine" or saying that later versions were "much improved".{{cite web |title=Mastering the Fog Cutter recipe |url=https://punchdrink.com/articles/mastering-fog-cutter-tiki-cocktail-recipe-paul-mcgee-lost-lake-chicago/ |website=punchdrink.com |date=7 August 2018 |access-date=25 February 2019}}{{cite book |last1=Berry |first1=Jeff |title=Beachbum Berry Remixed |date=2010 |publisher=Slave Labor Graphics |location=San Jose |page=48}} Others believe Vic's represents the best version.{{cite web |title=Recipe comparison of the Fog Cutter |url=http://www.kaiserpenguin.com/recipe-comparison-the-fog-cutter/ |website=kaiserpenguin.com |access-date=25 February 2019}}

The Fog Cutter is the only drink in Trader Vic's 1947 Bartender's Guide that carried an illustration for a ceramic mug with a Polynesian motif, making it one of the first ceramic tiki mugs (as the term is used generically; the book also carried an illustration for a ceramic mug in the shape of a skull and large ceramic drinking bowls).{{cite book |last1=Bergeron |first1=Victor |title=Bartender's Guide |date=1948 |publisher=Garden City Books |edition=Reprint|page=18}} As drawn in his Bartender's Guide, the mug is shown as a depiction of a Hula girl. Actual versions appeared slightly different but with the same subject matter.{{cite web |title=Fog Cutter 1944 |url=http://www.ooga-mooga.com/cgi-bin/all/mug.cgi?mode=view&mug_id=5078 |website=ooga-mooga.com/ |access-date=25 February 2019}}

A later version of the mug, often attributed to Vic's Samoan Fog Cutter version, depicts a relaxing man being serenaded by a wahine with a ukulele under a bright sun.{{cite web |title=Samonan Fog Cutter mug |url=http://www.ooga-mooga.com/cgi-bin/all/mug.cgi?mode=view&mug_id=2624 |website=ooga-mooga.com |access-date=25 February 2019}}

A common drink on the menu of most tiki bars, over 50 variations of a mug meant to hold a Fog Cutter cocktail specifically are known to exist, many in radically different designs than the one used by Trader Vic's.{{cite web |title=Fog Cutter search |url=http://www.ooga-mooga.com/cgi-bin/all/search.cgi?terms=fog+cutter&des_id=any&man_id=any&img_id=any&shp_id=any&clr_id=any&details=yes&mode=search_process&x=0&y=0 |website=ooga-mooga.com |access-date=25 February 2019}}

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Category:Tiki drinks

Category:Cocktails with light rum

Category:Californian cuisine